Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Robert McNamara, father of the Ford Falcon, dead at 93 [w/VIDEO]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/07/robert-mcnamara-father-of-the-ford-falcon-dead-at-93/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/07/robert-mcnamara-father-of-the-ford-falcon-dead-at-93/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/07/robert-mcnamara-father-of-the-ford-falcon-dead-at-93/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Click above to watch video after the jump

Former Ford President Robert McNamara passed away in his sleep yesterday at the age of 93. McNamara joined the Blue Oval in 1946 and quickly ascended the ranks, becoming the General Manager of the Ford Division in 1955.

During McNamara's tenure, the Ford brand bested Chevrolet in U.S. sales for the first time in 22 years. McNamara's biggest success was the 1960 Ford Falcon, which sold 500,000 units in its first year. McNamara also made the decision to convert the sexy two seat Thunderbird into the less attractive but more salable four-seat version. As unattractive as that decision seemed at the time, Thunderbird sales increased four-fold after the change.

After only one month as President of Ford Motor Company, McNamara went to Washington to be the Secretary of Defense for John F. Kennedy. He held the position until 1968. After his time in politics, McNamara spent 12 years as the head of the World Bank. Hit the jump to watch a commercial touting the 1960 Ford lineup, including the introduction of the Falcon.

[Sources: Mustang Monthly; Autoweek]

Continue reading Robert McNamara, father of the Ford Falcon, dead at 93 [w/VIDEO]

Robert McNamara, father of the Ford Falcon, dead at 93 [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fordford falconFordFalconjohn f kennedyJohnFKennedymcnamararobert mcnamaraRobertMcnamarasecretary of defenseSecretaryOfDefensethunderbirdTue, 07 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[SEMA 2008: Custom ThunderFlite T-Bird soars]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/09/sema-2008-custom-thunderflite-t-bird-soars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/09/sema-2008-custom-thunderflite-t-bird-soars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/09/sema-2008-custom-thunderflite-t-bird-soars/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Click above for high-res gallery of the ThunderFlite Thunderbird
Suzie and Dean Arnold dreamt of building a show car that would evoke the spirit of the dream cars that manufacturers used to build in the '50s and '60s. They decided to use a 1961 Thunderbird as the base vehicle and got long-time collaborator Don Johnson to finalize the design. Then Dean got to work building it. The result is the car you see here. To most of the people passing it at SEMA this week, they probably thought it was a vintage dream car rather than a modern custom. It certainly looked like it had just been dusted off and shined up after sitting mothballed for the past 40 years. Every detail seems period correct, and we particularly liked the Batmobile-esque double-bubble roof. Click over to ThunderFlite.com for more background info, and check out our gallery for more high-res pics.

Gallery: SEMA 2008: ThunderFlite Thunderbird


Photos copyright (C)2008 Frank Filipponio/Weblogs, Inc.

SEMA 2008: Custom ThunderFlite T-Bird soars originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 09 Nov 2008 19:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1961 Thunderbird1961ThunderbirdDean ArnoldDeanArnolddon johnsonDonJohnsonsemasema 2008Sema2008thunderbirdThunderFliteSun, 09 Nov 2008 19:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Grease Me Up: Lube sweepstakes giving away a '57 T-Bird]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/03/grease-me-up-lube-sweepstakes-giving-away-a-57-t-bird/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/03/grease-me-up-lube-sweepstakes-giving-away-a-57-t-bird/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/03/grease-me-up-lube-sweepstakes-giving-away-a-57-t-bird/#commentsFiled under: ,

Spend a couple of minutes surfing the net and you'll find all sorts of contests giving away all sorts of prizes. The best of them - ahem, like the Autoblog Relaunch Celebration Sweepstakes we ran a year back - give away a new car. But how about an old car? We mean, like a classic... a classic among classics, even, like the 1957 Ford Thunderbird.

That's exactly what Blaster chemicals - makers of a variety of lubricants and rust inhibitors - is giving away to mark its 50th anniversary. Residents of the lower 48 can enter the sweepstakes online until the end of July. The grand prize consists of the T-Bird and a trip for two to Cleveland - home of Rock & Roll and our own John Neff - to pick it up at the awards ceremony. They're also giving away five classic pedal cars, five leather jackets and Blaster-branded apparel. Follow the jump to enter.

[Source: Blaster Corporation via All Cars, All the Time]

Grease Me Up: Lube sweepstakes giving away a '57 T-Bird originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Jul 2008 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1957 ford thunderbird1957FordThunderbird57 t-bird57T-birdblasterblaster contestblaster sweepstakesblaster t-birdBlasterContestBlasterSweepstakesBlasterT-birdford thunderbirdFordThunderbirdthunderbirdThu, 03 Jul 2008 08:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Thunderbird Ranch out to pasture?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/23/thunderbird-ranch-out-to-pasture/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/23/thunderbird-ranch-out-to-pasture/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/23/thunderbird-ranch-out-to-pasture/#commentsFiled under: , ,



John Draxler has loved Ford's personal-luxury coupe for decades, and he's been a tremendous resource for the Thunderbird community for nearly as long with his Thunderbird Ranch operation. Located in Wisconsin, the Ranch could be over-simplified as a yard full of Thunderbirds, and the Badger State thinks it's a lot more complicated than that. Wisconsin has determined that the Thunderbird Ranch is really a salvage operation, and called for all sorts of permits and fees. Rather than deal with the hassle and the expense, Mr. Drexler is razing the ranch. Now would be a good time to get those parts for your '57-'88 'Bird, or possibly even pick up that entire project car. Act fast, or the offer from the scrap metal yard will likely win out.

[Source: Hemmings]

Thunderbird Ranch out to pasture? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 May 2008 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>classic carclassic carsclassic thunderbirdClassicCarClassicCarsClassicThunderbirdford thunderbirdFordThunderbirdsquarebirdtbirdthunderbirdthunderbird ranchThunderbirdRanchvintage thunderbirdVintageThunderbirdFri, 23 May 2008 10:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Rare Ford concept to go on the block at Barrett-Jackson]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/14/rare-ford-concept-to-go-on-the-block-at-barrett-jackson/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/14/rare-ford-concept-to-go-on-the-block-at-barrett-jackson/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/14/rare-ford-concept-to-go-on-the-block-at-barrett-jackson/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Auto manufacturers have a far less sentimental relationship with their concept cars than we do. Many of the most exciting ideas ever manifested in automotive form have been unceremoniously disposed of once they outlived their usefulness. As car people, we abhor this practice and the equally diabolical effect it has on the price of those cars lucky enough to survive. In the early 1960s, Ford exhibited flights of fancy in their own Custom Car Caravan, at the 1964 World's Fair in New York, and other shows as well. Virtually none of the vehicles produced for those exhibits survive, but one of the few will be crossing the block at Barrett-Jackson in less than three months.

The Ford Thunderbird Italien married a Zagato-riffic roofline with the rocket-age looks of the 1960s T-Birds, and created a car with arresting style. Vince Gardner of Dearborn Steel Tubing handled design and fabrication for Ford. The Italien was one of several show cars that the firm turned out for Ford. Under the aerodynamic pretenses of the roof are four leather bucket seats; two front, two rear. No sliding from side to side along an expansive bench seat in this puppy, you're coddled in the finest wares that Detroit could whip up in the slide-rule sixties. The reason this particular car managed to escape was that actor Dale Robertson took it under his wing, and it later wound up in the care of Don Chambers, a Ford collector. Tom Maruska, who has owned the car since 2006 is working to return this rare bird to its original spec. Now, which Hollywood car nut's got dibs on the Interceptor?

[Source: Motor Trend]

Gallery: 1963 Thunderbird Italien

Rare Ford concept to go on the block at Barrett-Jackson originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 Oct 2007 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1960sauctionbarrett jacksonBarrettJacksonfordford thunderbirdFordThunderbirdsixtiesthunderbirdSun, 14 Oct 2007 08:02:00 EST<![CDATA[VIDEO: Woodward Dream Cruise 2007 - the Ford display]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/20/video-live-from-woodward-the-ford-display/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/20/video-live-from-woodward-the-ford-display/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/20/video-live-from-woodward-the-ford-display/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

One look at Woodward Avenue on Saturday and and it's easy to see what the most popular tuner car is. Mustangs were everywhere, form the earliest 1965 model to the Shelby GT500 and several Roush editions. The custom 'Stangs were the best of all, with every aftermarket treatment known to man. Ford's booth also had a large amount of pony cars, but there was a lot more to see as well. Ford had the best band at Woodward, and there were contests to enter as well. Hit the jump to view the Woodward Ford collection in all its glory. The two minute video is definitely worth your time.

Gallery: Woodward Dream Cruise 2007: Ford

Continue reading VIDEO: Woodward Dream Cruise 2007 - the Ford display

VIDEO: Woodward Dream Cruise 2007 - the Ford display originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Aug 2007 11:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>FordGTMustangRoushShelbyThunderbirdMon, 20 Aug 2007 11:26:00 EST<![CDATA[Stolen T-Bird recovered after three decades]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/06/24/stolen-t-bird-recovered-after-three-decades/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/06/24/stolen-t-bird-recovered-after-three-decades/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/06/24/stolen-t-bird-recovered-after-three-decades/#commentsFiled under:

In 1976, the Palo Alto, California owner of a 1956 Ford Thunderbird had his car stolen from him. In an unwitting stroke of fortune, he still lives not far from where his baby was taken. This week, he got a call -- thirty-one years later -- that his 51-year-old car has been found in Southern California. Turns out a SoCal woman bought it from a seller in Ohio, but had to get help with the VIN number from the California Highway Patrol. When they ran the mismatching VIN numbers, they realized it was stolen, and then tracked down the records of the owner. Even better for the now-restored owner: the car is still in "cherry" condition, and has only 24,979 miles on it. (The '56 Thunderbird in the pic isn't the actual stolen car.)

Thanks for the tip, Chuck!

[Source: Sports Car Market magazine]

Stolen T-Bird recovered after three decades originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 24 Jun 2007 09:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1956CHPstolenthunderbirdSun, 24 Jun 2007 09:03:00 EST<![CDATA[eBay Find of the Day: Thunder Monster]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/06/ebay-find-of-the-day-thunder-monster/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/06/ebay-find-of-the-day-thunder-monster/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/06/ebay-find-of-the-day-thunder-monster/#commentsFiled under:

Better than Alex Rodriguez in April, this eBay seller hits home runs with the car truck thing he's got for sale, the Thunder Monster moniker, and the text of the actual listing, which you'll just have to read.

This is a T-Bird that was left too long on The Island of Dr. Moreau. The beast is a 450-500 hp 4-wheel-drive that's top half '58 T-Bird (one of the 'Squarebirds'), bottom half '77 Chevy Blazer, and a chopped out bed. The 350 V8 was blessed with a 383 stroker kit, and according to the seller, it would make "a great hot rod that would not take much to turn into a show winner." The next paragraph lists all the stuff you'll have to fix just to make it down the street safely.

If you were wondering, the seller assures all that "There is no other like it on earth." Of course, he also says "it looks great." We have to admit, unorthodox as it is, and even though it looks like a jacked up angry red eating machine . . . we kinda like it. But for us, it is the seller's last admonition that seals the deal: "get your finances in order before you bid, ask mamma if it's ok, and all that stuff first." Too right!

If the auction has ended before you get a chance to feast your eyes, you can see the pics here.

Thanks for the tip, Doug!

[Source: eBay]

eBay Find of the Day: Thunder Monster originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 May 2007 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>5877blazerebaymonstert-birdthunderthunderbirdSun, 06 May 2007 16:57:00 EST<![CDATA[RR of the Day: 1960 Ford Thunderbird]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/30/rr-of-the-day-1960-ford-thunderbird/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/30/rr-of-the-day-1960-ford-thunderbird/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/30/rr-of-the-day-1960-ford-thunderbird/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Cars today are generally quite good. Regardless of what you choose, chances are that you're getting something with ample power, clean emissions, decent fuel economy, and good reliability. Unfortunately, where many cars fall down is in the area of style. Oh, they may not be unattractive, but they're not going to be talked about 40 years from now, either.

The same cannot be said of the 1960 Thunderbird, which in its day was referred to in a jingle as "the finest of fine cars, the last word in 'wish it were my' cars." And why not? The 1960 car was big and bold, dripping with style. And so, we're a little jealous of Flickr user salguod.net, because his black over red 1960 Thunderbird is just desperately cool.

Read on after the jump.

As mentioned previously, we won't be having a theme for this week's RR of the Day, but next week, it's on. Submit your turbocharged and supercharged vehicles to our Flickr pool by following the directions after the jump. We want to see them all, whether it's a home-brewed Civic hatch or a modded Cummins diesel, all are welcome
during Forced Induction Week.

Continue reading RR of the Day: 1960 Ford Thunderbird

RR of the Day: 1960 Ford Thunderbird originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Nov 2006 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1960 thunderbird1960ThunderbirdthunderbirdThu, 30 Nov 2006 09:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Orlando man flips city the painted 'Bird in code protest]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/03/31/orlando-man-flips-city-the-painted-bird-in-code-protest/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/03/31/orlando-man-flips-city-the-painted-bird-in-code-protest/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/03/31/orlando-man-flips-city-the-painted-bird-in-code-protest/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Mike Cordi of Orlando believes he's fighting a war with the city's code enforcement officials, and he's painted his Ford Thunderbird in protest. The T-Bird even has a battle scene set up on the trunklid, depicting his battle with the city. Cordi indicates that the standoff began when the city cited him for putting a boat and cars in his yard, subsequently warning him about parking vehicles on the grass.

Cordi is set to plead his case before the city's code enforcement board next month. In the meantime, his Audubon Park neighbors don't look too pleased.

[Source: WFTV.com]

(Tip nod: Chicken)

Orlando man flips city the painted 'Bird in code protest originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Mar 2006 13:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Code violationCodeViolationMike CordiMikeCordiOrlandoThunderbirdFri, 31 Mar 2006 13:04:00 EST